"It's been four months, Dad! Four months since we began to search for my son! Why haven't you found him yet?!" Chloe yelled in outrage the moment she stepped into her father's study. From the look on her father's face, he didn't seem to be in a good mood himself, but Chloe did not care. All she wanted was her son. Her son with Prince Cedric. She was tired of seeing Juniper getting closer and closer to Prince Cedric, using Hector as an excuse. She didn't want to admit it, but she could feel the Crown Prince slowly slipping away from her grasp and if only their son was around, he wouldn't be spending so much time with that slut and that bratty little imp of hers. But here her father was, being so. . . so incompetent with such a simple task. Which was very unlike him. Incompetence was never a word to describe her father. So why did he choose now of all times to do this to her? "Can you be a little bit patient?" Antoine drawled in a sigh. "I'm doing everything
It was nearly dinner time when Juniper's phone rang and Dylan's name glared on the caller ID. She received the call and singsonged in a tone dripping with honey, "Hi, Supermodel! What's up?!" "Hey, Juni baby! Guess what? I'm back in Forêt-Bleue," Dylan's voice came through from the other end of the phone. "Oh, really? When did you arrive?" She asked swiftly. "Just this morning," he responded, the tone of his voice giving out his undeniable excitement. "We have a lot of catching up to do. I'm so excited. I want to celebrate. Can we meet for a drink?" Juniper switched the phone to her other ear, nodding in agreement. "Sure. Why not?" "Great. I'll send you the location." It took quite a while, but eventually, Juniper found herself at the hotel bar where Dylan was waiting for her. The moment he saw her, he squeezed her in a suffocating embrace. "Oh my God, Juni. It's so nice to see you again." Taken aback, Juniper laughed awkwardly, patting his back softly.
"Hey, time to go, miss," an officer announced, tapping the bars of Juniper's holding cell with his baton. "Your friend has posted your bail." Gradually, Juniper climbed to her feet, her movements lethargic, as the officer unlocked the cell door and swung it open, gesturing for her to exit. All her life, she'd never caused any trouble that landed her behind bars. In fact, she'd avoided being in this kind of situation like the plague. But here she was. . . behind the bars, throughout the night, for an asshole's sake. So why the hell was she smiling, so fulfilled, like a lunatic? She followed the officer to a nearby cubicle to collect her belongings, then proceeded to the front desk where Camille was waiting, her face blazing with a deep shade of red—FURIOUS as hell. Undeterred, Juniper's grin didn't fade from her face, even for a second, as she approached Camille with a playful swagger. "Good morning, Camille," she chimed, fluttering her fingers in a cheeky, taunting wave.
Juniper laughed maniacally as she stared down at Dylan's limp body on the living room floor. "Wow, Camille was right," she said, her eyes scanning between her fingers where she had hidden the sedative patch. "This stuff does work like magic." She turned her attention back to Dylan who was currently on a cab to Slumberland, exhaled, and knelt beside him. Juniper tsked, shaking her head in disappointment. "Oh, Dylan," she drawled barely above a whisper. "I thought you'd have at least ten percent wisdom within you but it turns out that you're hundred percent controlled by your dick and nothing more." She reached inside her handbag and slipped out another sedative patch from the paper bag Camille had given her earlier. Gingerly, she separated the patch from its protective wrap and applied it on the other side of his neck. She needed as much time as possible to fully accomplish her task here. She straightened on her feet, staring down at him. "Don't worry, D
A week had passed, but the memory of that kiss still lingered, refusing to be extinguished. As Cedric rode back to the Presidential hotel, fresh from the Inter-Regional Summit, he couldn't help but thank the good Lord that he had navigated the high-stakes meeting without a single misstep, despite his mind being utterly clouded by the enchanting woman who had left an indelible mark on his thoughts. Ever since that day, he tried to keep away from her and avoided being in secluded places with her. One thing he couldn't afford was rekindling what they once shared. He didn't deserve her. Juniper deserved someone who could protect her and he knew more than anyone else that person wasn't him. Chloe Clermont was his punishment for being such a coward and he was going to bear every bit of it till the end. The soft voice of his assistant, Marcel, crackled through the intercom, pulling him out of his turbulent thoughts. "We've arrived, Your Majesty." He'd been s
FORÊT-BLEUE WAS IN TOTAL CHAOS!!! Scandalous photos of Juniper and Cedric's intimate kiss in the Parisian hotel suite surfaced out of nowhere, sending shockwaves throughout the kingdom. And to make matters even worse. . . the details of their past relationship were also revealed, spreading like wildfire and drawing the attention of the entire region. The media was in a frenzy and their once-private moments were now nothing but public fodder. The public's reaction was merciless, with vicious insults hurled at them. However, the brunt of the insults was way worse on the Crown Prince's side. He was labeled all sorts of names—philanderer, serial cheater, deceiver, unfaithful, dishonest. . . the list goes on and on and on. And Juniper wasn't the least bit surprised or anxious, because. . . it was her plan after all. A smug smile overcame Juniper's features as she lounged on her bed, scrolling through the online comments that brutally criticized her and Cedric. She
"What is the meaning of this, Cedric?" Queen Catherine exclaimed, her voice stern and demanding, as she swept into Cedric's bedroom. "How could you permit yourself to become embroiled in such a situation?" Cedric breathed heavily, almost out of frustration. His day was already challenging enough. He'd just gotten back from a difficult meeting with the Royal House PR team, and the last thing he needed was his mother's added pressure. "I have everything under control, Mother. Please, do not concern yourself." "I foresaw this. . . I knew it was a terrible idea permitting that woman into the Royal Palace, or even close to you," Queen Catherine retorted, her tone inundated with disdain. "She's nothing but trouble. That she managed to track you down in Paris and thrust herself upon you is utterly unacceptable. Perhaps it is about time for me to impart a measure of discipline and decorum." All of a sudden, Cedric's hands paused in the process of pulling off his winter jacket
Chloe didn't need to ring the doorbell of Dylan's apartment twice before the door swung open and he appeared at the doorway, wearing a huge, enthusiastic smile, saying, "Hello, stranger!" But before he could even finish speaking, she brushed past him and marched inside without so much of a salutation, leaving him momentarily taken aback by her abrupt behavior. "Good afternoon to you too, Chloe," Dylan said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, as he slammed the door shut. He trailed after her into the dining room, where she had already made a beeline for the minibar. "Why are you in such a foul mood?" Chloe disregarded Dylan's question and reached straight for the bottle of vodka. She poured herself a shot and tossed it back with a swift motion. The strong liquor burned her throat, prompting a wince out of her as she gently patted her chest to ease the sudden discomfort. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dylan exclaimed, his hands swiftly snatching both the bottle and the shot-glass